Lord of the Frogs

Well over a year ago, I had a staring contest with this self-satisfied frog (click to enlarge). It resides (or resided?) at the Paris zoo: the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plante. Founded in 1794, the Ménagerie is the first and oldest civil zoological garden in the world. The zoo has an antique quality –– surreal –– like stepping back into time. Whilst spending a day observing the various birds and se Parisian zoological beasts, one may begin to get the impression that the zoo has become frozen in time since its opening. Not true! As the Ménagerie website points out...

Other buildings, enclosures and improvements were added over the years: notably the bear den in 1805, the first big cats enclosure (since demolished) in 1821, the semi-circular pheasantry in 1827, the reptiles gallery in 1870, a wintering building in 1905, an ape house, transformed into a nursery in 1928, etc.

Group of artists at Jardin des Plantes, from the magazine "L'Illustration", 7 August 1902.